Conclusion and Recommendations

As part of an ongoing dedication to continuously improving patient safety and safety of health professionals,
the industry is continuously working with clinicians to develop innovative technologies that optimize levels of radiation and improve image quality.

These developments often offer clinicians faster,
safer and more intelligent diagnostic imaging systems which improve visual and functional information about their patients while providing support decision-making,
reduced complexity and increased productivity.

Since these advances are often incremental,
industry offers upgrades that help extend the life of equipment over a defined period.
However,
as equipment ages,
increasing numbers of technical incompatibilities e.g.
in equipment control and the redesign of components,
can render updates uneconomical,
even impossible.

The European Society of Radiology (ESR) has recognised the clinical importance of planning for timely replacement of equipment.
In 2014,
it published a position paper on renewal,
stating that; “Equipment less than five years old is state-of-the-art technology.
Properly maintained equipment between six and ten years old is suitable for practice,
but radiology departments should develop a strategy to replace them.
Machines over ten years old must be replaced”.

This commitment should be shared by all stakeholders; the consistent and persistent deterioration in the age profile of the equipment base (see the COCIR Report on “Age Profile and Density 2016”) should not be allowed to continue.
Embracing innovative financing models will make renewing the equipment base affordable.

Replace obsolescent equipment that cannot be upgraded
COCIR calls upon national and regional governments and EU policy-makers to support replacing technologically obsolescent equipment that cannot be upgraded,
using cohesion policy funding to ensure comprehensive,
coherent and sustained investment.

Adopt the latest technologies in breast imaging:

COCIR encourages healthcare providers to adopt the latest technologies in breast imaging,
which provide the opportunity to improve quality,
efficacy,
patient safety and productivity.
Currently,
most purchase decisions are price-driven and fail to consider any ‘incremental value’ the technology or method provides.

The best care means providing the patient with a justified examination with a dose as low as reasonably achievable and an image quality sufficient for the clinical goal to be reached.